Islamophobic Group Plans Provocative Barbecues Near Dutch Mosques, Why In Ramadan?

They are neither wanted nor welcome, this is the reality of the majority of Muslims living abroad.

Islamophobic attacks and discrimination prevent them from being able to freely express their identity and practices, leading to a prevalent sense of fear, threats and insecurity.

Attacks on Muslim people, mosques, or Islamic centers has recently increased especially in Ramadan, a perfect time for Islamophobists to provoke the Muslim minority.

This year, Ramadan was marked by deliberately provocative barbecues near mosques in the Netherlands held by a Dutch group known for its Islamophobic stances.

The act of the far-right Organization of Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (PEGIDA) to cook pork in front of some mosques during the iftar, was banned by the municipalities of Schiedam and Eindhoven for security reasons.

The extreme right-wing organization announced the so-called “Ramadan barbecue (BBQ) tour” as it was planned to be held in 12 cities, and in Schiedam, near Rotterdam, on Tuesday evening.

 

Deliberate Provocation

A few days before Ramadan, an Islamophobic Dutch group was planning to hold deliberately provocative barbecues next to mosques over the next several weeks, saying

Standing for “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of West,” PEGIDA group said, “the barbecues will be held in front of mosques at the sunset fast-breaking time in 12 cities across the country,” claiming that they have applied for permits.

Over years ago, similar PEGIDA barbecues have featured the roasting of pork, which is a food prohibited under Islam.

The last two years, and because of COVID-19 pandemic, these events were suspended, but now there is no deterrent to what they call “the Ramadan Barbecue Tour.” 

Since 2014, the far-right anti Islamist PEGIDA protested for the first time in Dresden, Germany with some 350 people, including 12 organizers.

In 2015, the number of protesters reached some 25,000 but later fell.

In fact, PEGIDA has inspired Islamophobic groups both inside and outside Germany, Anadolu Agency reported.

However, the event, planned to be held in front of the Muradiye Mosque associated with the Dutch Religious Foundation (HDV), was banned by the Mayor of Schiedam, Cor Lamers, Birinci News reported.

Lamers said that “public order and traffic safety will be adversely affected” this is why the ban decision was taken.

The Mayor of Schiedam said that “preparing meat dishes on the barbecue or in the microwave in front of a mosque during Ramadan is unnecessary provocation.”

 

Banning Fasting During Ramadan

Ramadan is also an opportunity for the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) also. The latter has banned Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims from fully observing Ramadan, like prohibiting civil servants, students and teachers from fasting during this Muslim holy month.

Beijing strongly tightens its grip over the province that includes nearly nine million Muslim Uighurs, and all the people must follow the rules.

Uighur leaders criticized the ban saying it is “a provocation” that “will only lead to instability and conflict.”

The authorities also ordered restaurants to stay open during the day, in addition to banning religious activities associated with Ramadan in some counties.

Clashes and violent incidents have broken out over the years between native Uighurs and ethnic Han Chinese settlers who were brought in by the Chinese government to eradicate the indigenous population.

It was not only discouraging government employees to forgo fasting, police and court officials in Awat County were demanded to “take the lead in teaching family members not to fast and not to participate in Ramadan-related religious activities,” according to Asia News.

Teachers and school children were also included in Ramadan instructions and other religious observances.

According to Dilxat Rexit, a spokesman for the exiled World Uyghur Congress, “policies that prohibit religious fasting are a provocation and will only lead to instability and conflict.”

It is worth noting to mention the campaigns to ban halal products in India also; the last of which was in Karnataka, yesterday, April 7, where many butcher shops and restaurants were threatened.

The campaign was with the support of a member of the state legislature.

The recent attacks shed the light on new targeting of Indian Muslims during their special month.

 

Islamophobic Attacks

There have been recent campaigns to ban halal products in India; the last of which was in Karnataka, yesterday, April 7, where many butcher shops and restaurants were threatened. The campaign was with the support of a member of the state legislature.

The recent attacks shed the light on new targeting of Indian Muslims during their special month.

However, attacks on Muslims minorities are not only during Ramadan; 2020 was a particularly difficult year for Muslims living abroad. In addition to the deliberate burning of the Brunei Mosque and the Al-Birach mosque in the summer, institutions and their leaders were repeatedly targeted, and the Great Mosque of Lyon was subjected to a flood of verbal insults during the time of one of the prayers, according to Al-Estiklal.

The attacks targeted people also; Yassin, the 38-year-old businessman, was a resident of Lyon. In November 2021 he started building his new home in a small town in the Haute-Loire, but the building tools were set on fire. His building permit was eventually suspended by the city council, after a public meeting with the residents.

In his interview with Al-Estiklal, Dr. Smail Khalfallah said that “under the pretext of the Anti-Terrorism and Extremism Law, Europe is inflating the numbers when including many mosques and Islamic associations in the list of terrorism and Salafi-jihadi discourses.”

“Many associations are closed for not complying with security and safety laws, for example, but European governments include them in the list of terrorism, so the numbers are exaggerated until they pass strict laws that affect the freedom of Muslims and increase pressure on them,” he added.

Dr. Smail argued that “French politicians, for example, are competing to be the most extremist and the most hostile to Islam.”

“The reason is simply that the Muslim communities do not have a large electoral base and if they had, the scene would have been exactly the opposite and politicians would compete to gain their votes so the pressure on Muslims would be relieved.”